3.1.07

Yesterday's Hayom Yom from the second to last Chabad Rebbe has a surprisingly chassidic and non-Chabad twist. Here is the conclusion:

Even the great minds who are here must lay aside their intellects and not be ruled by their reason and knowledge, for they are susceptible to being misguided by their intellect to the point that their end may be a bitter one. The essential thing in these times of the "footsteps of Mashiach" is not to follow intellect and reason, but to fulfill Torah and mitzvot wholeheartedly, with simple faith in the G-d of Israel.

This is very different from what I would have thought an institution founded on the intellect would maintain. It does follow though, from the fact that Emunah comes from a deeper and earlier source than any of the intellectual faculties.

I often mention that the Notzer Hesed brings that both the Baal Shem Tov and Mosheh Rabbeinu performed all of their wonders and miracles through emunah pshutah. Moshe embodies the aspect of Da'ath, knowledge, if his level was to act through simple emunah, then there is something essential about intellect putting reason in its place and acting out of higher faith in God.

We are at the heals of the coming of the mashiah which leads to the teaching that the head follows the feet. The feet determine where we actually go, so all the reason and intellect in the world will still reside in the head, it is the feet, the midah of Emunah that determines where the intellect and reason get to. Therefore, we have to focus on keeping of the mitzvot through thorough knoweldge of the halacha, the walking; as well as through the Torah and the deeper reasons and secrets clothed within this walking (ie. moving the head along with the feet) Obviously the lesson is much deeper--but this is what I was able to garner from it.

Updated: [I forgot to include this] for an in-depth manual on how to defer your intellectual faculties to your emunah, read Rebbe Nachman's The Sophisticate and the Simpleton, it's helped me guide my life for yours, and saved me so much wasted energy, both mental and physical.